Special Coverage

Twirling Candy

Lane’s End stallion Candy Ride has his bases well covered in this year’s Kentucky Derby.

If his son Gun Runner continues his run of strong performances in Louisiana that made him the points leader heading into the Derby, Candy Ride might pick up his first Derby winner and would add the classic accolade his otherwise sterling résumé had been missing.

Twirling Candy propelled himself atop the current freshman sire standings with two maiden special weight winners, Uptown Twirl and Twirling Cinnamon, last week, according to Daily Racing Form’s SirePowered Results.

Jenny Craig, at Del Mar last week with Mike Smith, is still involved in racing and has a controlling interest in the stallions Candy Ride and Twirling Candy.

Sidney Craig was still glowing from the victory of his colt Dr Devious in the 213th running of England’s cherished Epsom Derby in 1992 when he was presented, with great ceremony, to Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II. Such a moment, fraught with pomp and circumstance, carried with it an unusual custom that called for the owner of the winning colt to promise the Queen a share in the Derby winner’s future as a stallion, Her Majesty being England’s most famous patron of the Thoroughbred breed.

Grade 1 winner Twirling Candy's first foal was born at Calumet Farm on Jan. 13.

Grade 1 winner Twirling Candy was represented by his first foal on Jan. 13, a filly born at Calumet Farm in Lexington, Ky.

The bay filly, out of the A.P. Indy mare Silent Moccasins, is bred and owned by Brad Kelley's Bluegrass Hall LLC. Kelley is leasing historic Calumet from a trust that purchased the property in May 2012.

Twirling Candy has been retired due to injury and will stand next year at Lane's End farm in Kentucky.

ARCADIA, Calif. – Twirling Candy, one of the top older horses in California this year, is out of the Breeders’ Cup with an injury and will be retired to stud at Lane’s End farm in Kentucky in 2012, trainer John Sadler said Saturday.

Twirling Candy was being pointed to the BC Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5 when the injury was detected.

“It’s a slight injury,” Sadler said. “It’s not a big thing. He’ll go off to Lane’s End for his new career.”

ARCADIA, Calif. – Twirling Candy will be pointed to the $1 million Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Churchill Downs on Nov. 5, with only a “10 percent” chance that he will start in the BC Classic the same day, trainer John Sadler said.

“We think that’s the best spot for him right now,” Sadler said of the Dirt Mile.

Twirling Candy (left), second to Acclamation in last weekend's Pacific Classic, will be pointed to either the Breeders' Cup Classic or the BC Dirt Mile.

Twirling Candy, the runner-up in the Pacific Classic on Aug. 28, will start in the $250,000 Goodwood Stakes over 1 1/8 miles on Oct. 1 as a prep to a Breeders’ Cup race to be determined later, trainer John Sadler said on Sunday.

Sadler said the Breeders’ Cup Classic or the Dirt Mile, which is run around one turn, would be considered for Twirling Candy. Owned by a partnership, Twirling Candy won the Grade 2 Californian Stakes at Hollywood Park in June and was third in the Hollywood Gold Cup in July earlier this summer.